Su wants to set aside talks on cross-strait ties: source

The China Post--The most important things for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to focus on right now are the nation's economy and the welfare of the public, a source close to DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said yesterday, adding that a formal discussion on cross-strait relations within the DPP should be set aside for now.

Former Premier Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) recent visit to mainland China and subsequent proposal of "constitutions with different interpretations" (憲法各表) as a cross-strait policy guideline have sparked heated debate within the DPP.

Although there are no plans to host a formal debate, the DPP organized a forum, inviting past officials of the Mainland Affairs Council (陸委會) and numerous experts to give talks on China, the source added.

If the DPP were to organize a debate on China right now, it would find itself caught in an undesirable position, the source said, adding that the party should wait until the issue has cooled down so that it can discuss the matter properly without external influences.

Political commentators have suggested that if the opposition chooses to remain silent on its cross-strait stance, it will make a target out of itself for the Kuomintang (KMT) to attack.

The DPP may very well find itself an opposition party forever if it does not come up with a cross-strait policy guideline, said Albert Lin (林耀文), a core member of Hsieh's political faction.

Domestic issues, such as the nation's economy, are related to cross-strait relations, DPP Central Executive Committee (中執會) member Hung Chih-kun (洪智坤) said yesterday. He urged Su not to treat the two separately.